Jaume Collet-Sera directs this psychological horror starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsaard as Kate and John, a couple grieving the loss of their unborn child who decide to adopt nine-year-old Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) from a nearby orphanage. But almost as soon as they welcome Esther into their home, an alarming series of events begins to unfold, leading Kate to believe that there is something very wrong with Esther. Is this seemingly angelic little girl as sweet and innocent as she appears?
| Starring: |
Vera Farmiga, Peter Sarsgaard, Isabelle Fuhrman, C. C. H. Pounder, Jimmy Bennett, Aryana Engineer, Lorry Ayers, Rosemary Dunsmore, Margo Martindale, Matthew Raudsepp, Karel Roden, Andrew Shaver |
| Director: |
Jaume Collet-Serra |
| Languages: |
English |
| Distributor: |
|
MyMovies
"Orphan" tells the story of a couple who, after the death of their unborn child, seek to adopt from an ...
"Orphan" tells the story of a couple who, after the death of their unborn child, seek to adopt from an orphanage. However, when the seemingly innocent 9-year-old girl they bring into their home turns out to have a dark secret and a penchant for evil deeds, the idyllic home life they had imagined begins to unravel before their eyes.Kate and John Coleman (played by the consistently brilliant Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard) are a couple trying to overcome the loss of their baby girl who suffered a stillbirth. After visiting an orphanage where they find themselves strangely drawn to the mature and eloquent Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), they decide to adopt the precocious nine-year-old. Despite her ornate dress sense and methodical sense of cleanliness, Esther seems to adapt well to family life initially, forming a strong attachment to her new father, John, in particular. However, we quickly realise that Esther is no loveable weirdo; this is a girl who is seriously dangerous. Whether she is pushing a fellow classmate from the top of a slide or attacking the nun who runs the orphanage where she used to live with a hammer, Esther is shown to be not only violent, but also manipulative beyond her years.She begins to effectively drive a wedge between her new parents, while terrorising her two siblings. Kate starts to see Esther for the malicious influence that she is, but fails to convince John who remains oblivious to his adopted daughter's evil nature. As Kate delves deeper into Esther's past she unearths a disturbing secret that reveals Esther's true identity.Engaging lead performances - especially by the impressive Isabelle Fuhrman - a steady pace and a surprising twist ensure that "Orphan" will present an enjoyable cinema outing for audiences. The characters' backgrounds are pretty thin, but when the main plot is as gripping as this, to complain about much else just seems churlish.More of a thriller than a horror, "Orphan" could be one of the surprise hits of the summer.
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Press Association
Suffer the little children, for they know not what they do... except in horror movies where angelic tykes are frequently ...
Suffer the little children, for they know not what they do... except in horror movies where angelic tykes are frequently messengers of doom and destruction. Patty McCormack chilled the heart of every parent in the mid '50s with her unforgettable portrayal of The Bad Seed, followed by such bloodcurdling favourites as Village Of The Damned, The Other, The Omen and Children Of The Corn. A little girl in search of a loving family proves more than a handful for her adopted parents in Jaume Collet-Serra's brutal thriller, which has somehow been classified as a 15 certificate. Orphan is not for the faint of heart with stomach churning and bloodthirsty interludes such as a stabbing and a bludgeoning with a hammer. Screenwriter David Leslie Johnson abides by convention, opening with a nightmarish hospital room scene of a mother suffering a miscarriage on the operating table that sets the grisly tone. He peppers the narrative with all the usual scares then replaces jolts with copious blood-letting for an overwrought finale that conceals a clever twist we sense is coming, even though we're not entirely sure how Johnson will pull it off. There are gaping holes in the film's strained logic, likely to elicit squeals of unintentional laughter. One character is willing to commit a loved one to the asylum seemingly at the drop of a hat and the reluctance of innocent children to tell their parents the shocking truth about a killer in their midst is hard to swallow; anything and everything to keep the plot ticking over for two hours. Kate Coleman (Vera Farmiga) and her husband John (Peter Sarsgaard) are devastated by the loss of their unborn child, which increases the pressure on their already fragile marriage. They seek guidance from therapist Dr Browning (Margo Martindale), who tries to heal their deep emotional wounds but Kate's alcoholism, which almost led to her young daughter drowning, continues to drive the couple apart. The Colemans decide that adopting a child to replace their miscarried daughter might help to bring them closer. "I want to take that love we felt for Jessica and give it to somebody who really needs it," sobs Kate. So the couple visits an orphanage run by Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder) and falls in love with a lonely Russian girl with a natural talent for painting called Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman). Instantly smitten, Kate and John complete the necessary paperwork and bring Esther home to meet their children, Daniel (Jimmy Bennett) and profoundly deaf daughter Max (Aryana Engineer). The boy is jealous of Esther's hold over his parents but Max is delighted to have a big sister to take care of her. Little do the Colemans realise that Esther has a secret - one that will bring death and misery to their community. Orphan generates a palpable sense of impending doom from its gloomy opening frames then continues to crank up the tension as Esther reveals her true nature, threatening Daniel and Max to stay silent. "I'll shoot mummy if you tell," Esther informs her little sister. Farmiga and Sarsgaard spend the majority of the film screaming at each other, while Fuhrman delivers a genuinely creepy supporting turn as a pint-sized sociopath. Serra slathers on the gore and entrails and goes for broke with the final showdown that would undoubtedly traumatise little Max for life as her nearest and dearest are slain around her. Don't be surprised if she turns psycho in a straight-to-DVD sequel.
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